Pages

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Guest Post 06: Dr. Cherrye Vasquez

My heart is made heavy when I learn that a child feels pain
and hurt from others. Why one must taunt, tease, and/or demean another is
beyond me.

Weekly, I blog as relative to my two platform topics,
Diversity and Bullying issues because I am passionate about helping children
who face concerns with issues relative to these topics. My aim is to help build
character, empower, lift spirits and self-esteem, as I somehow plant a seed of
deep self-love and respect down within the child.

I believe that we should start with the child – the total
child. Children must first learn to love and respect themselves before they can
learn to respect others. Children should armor a sense of remorse and care for
others, and the property of others.

Diversity is the key to learning about the differences among
us. We have to give children opportunities to learn about one another and then
teach them not only to tolerate, but to appreciate difference. Who knows, by
doing so perhaps the child will learn that there are more similarities than
differences among them.

When I look at the review
that Charles Franklin wrote on amazon.com for my book,
No Tildes Tuesday, I feel that he
delivered a very thorough account of what actually took place as the characters
interacted with each other throughout my book.Franklin is correct. My book isn’t just about race, but about the
importance of family, family dynamics and situations children and their parents
face daily. Isabella, main character in my book, just has to learn how
important it is to accept and incorporate her true self-identity within her
life.

Whether a child is monoracial, multiracial or biracial the
child should embrace themselves and their total family heritage(s), culture and
race. There will be family traditions along the way that will make appreciating
who they are even more remarkable. But
going back to my previous thought on this subject, family dynamics and the
functionality of the family plays a huge part in a child’s well-being,
stability and wholeness. Children reared in strong family units will make their
“mark on life” and will become strong productive citizens within our society.
Parents and grandparents are very powerful beings. They can mold and make their
children and grandchildren into whatever they please, but it does work both
ways. Using affirmation techniques as we speak to children allows them to live
up to whoever we tell them that they will become. Asking the child to affirm
greatness for themselves is even more powerful. Try these techniques and your prophecy will have been fulfilled.

Empowerment and standing strong against odds as the child
journeys through life will be made easier if there are ever adversities to
face, such as peer pressure and bullying.

As we are all aware, Bullying is a pandemic in our schools
and classrooms. When children feel good about themselves they won’t bully
others. When children don’t feel good about themselves, and they choose to
bully others, this child will not be able to “move” his targets empowering
spirits when we have done our jobs.

I’ve written articles, and blogs on my website for viewers
and I have created a page for Teachers and Students to peruse and gain further
insight into how to gain further support on these topics. These ideas,
materials and activities are additional resources that anyone can use.
Together, we can make a profound difference in the lives of our children.

Please see my website at: http://www.BooksThatSow.comfor
additional articles, books, blog posts, links and resources that I use and are
attributed to my work and quest to help children.